Review: Alunah – Solennial

Brummie doom mongers Alunah have been plying their trade for over a decade now and this their fourth full length album is a testament as to why they have endured where others have fallen. Of course there’s a bit of a tradition in England’s second city for glowering dark metal what with it being the home of Sabbath but Alunah are so much more than followers of fashion. This is music that is almost of the earth itself, a primeval sound that calls to the soul and burns with real passion. It takes real skill to write convincingly in this genre. If you’re heart isn’t in it it’ll show as a shallow mess. Solennial is anything but with some stirring passages. The cherry on the cake comes at the end in the form of a bold and brilliantly executed cover of ‘A Forest’ originally written by those doyens of fun, The Cure. While the song is a natural fit for the band in terms of writing the way they have adapted it, keeping it’s integrity while making it their own is borderline genius. This album confirms Alunah as a cornerstone of UK metal today.